Why Me
by drummer8907
Summary: I never truly understood why Oliver picked me...until now...Loliver
1. Chapter 1

**AN: It's feels like I haven't posted in so long...but it's been like a month. Anyway, the lack of Loliver (and with Cheat It and this weekend's new episode Knock, Knock, Knockin' on Jackson's Head's lack of OLIVER), things have been pretty grim. Hopefully, this new multi-chapter story will help. This is just the begining part, so it's a little short. It's bed fluff, what's not to love? Hope you guys like it.**

Oliver Oscar Oken is the most amazing man in the universe. He's sweet and loving voice melts my heart. His funny and caring personality can always brighten a bad day. I can't help but smile when he shows his adorkable, boyish-charm. Simply put; he's brown hair, brown-eyed perfection.

And the best part? He's _mine_._ All _mine.

The worst part? I truly don't deserve a guy as good as Oken...

There are thousands, _millions _of girls that would do _anything _to get their hands on him. Some girls would collapse right in front of him if he even said "hello", "how you doing?", "why are you staring at me like that?" Those are girls who have nothing to loose and everything to gain. Me, I have everything I ever dreamed of, and I just don't understand...

Out of all people..._why me_...?

* * *

I'm in heaven tonight. Not only did I have the most amazing night out with Oliver, but I get to enjoy quality time alone with him as well. He planned such a special night for me and now it's ending in my favorite way, the perfect way; cuddling on his big, soft bed.

We're seniors in college with a week till graduation. There's not a care in the world to us right now.

The room is dark, but cozy. Light only emits from a small, green lava lamp several feet away on his desk. I feel his strong, loving arms wrap around my body and pull me tight to his side. One hand is around my shoulder (exposed from wearing a black dress. Oliver had told me wear something a little more fancy than I usually do tonight.) His other hand starts to stroke my blonde hair, which I had straightened earlier. We snuggle close. I'm warm and safe this way. Life truly is sweet.

"You're so lucky you have a single." I break the silence by referring to his dorm type. Reaching over, I fiddle with his long and skinny black tie. I become like cat playing with piece of yarn; distracted and easily pleased.

"Sometimes it gets lonely." He replies. I don't look at his face. I can just tell by his voice he's caught up in the moment like me.

"I can't wait to get out of my dorm." I tell him. "My roommate is the most annoying twit on the planet! I _hate_ having to live with her!"

Oliver chuckles. "So that's why you spend so much time here. I was kinda hoping it was because you miss me and can't get enough of _Smokin' Oken_."

Though I roll my eyes at his response, Oliver and I both know what he said is true. Some days I'd stay in _his_ dorm rather than return to my own; even when we had conflicting schedules. Oliver had a key made for me so I could just walk in any time I wanted. Once in a while, I would be at his desk doing homework, but Oliver usually found me taking a power nap on his bed. His scent stains the sheets and the pillow; a scent I crave.

I quickly grow tired of messing with the tie and need to change position. My favorite cuddle spot is Oliver's chest. His heart beat is so soothing like lapping ocean waves. I pick my head up from Oliver's side and try to place myself on the center of his body. I'm exactly where I want to be right now, but it's oddly uncomfortable.

I lift my head up and frown. "Stupid tie!" I mutter, waving it back and forth. Oliver's back arches as he leans forward. He removes his hands from holding me and goes to loosen the tie. Gently, I push them away as I remove the troubling garment myself, tossing it aside. My head slowly falls back to where it was.

"Much better." I announce with a smile.

"Actually, it's getting a little hot in the room." He says. "And since I don't want to ruin this moment by getting up to turn the air on, would you undo the first few buttons on my shirt, so I can cool off?"

My heart and brain both love Oliver's request. I immediately sit up and begin the task. One button, two buttons, three buttons...I hear a sigh of relief escape. I know he said the first few buttons, but I can't help myself. After every button I hear my conscience say "just one more." One leads to two, two leads to three, and soon I'm tugging the white shirt out from being tucked in his black dress pants. Once it's free, I push the fabric to the sides. Oliver's bare chest is staring up at me, though his arms are still covered by the long sleeves. Without thinking, I try to slip off the remainder of the covering.

"Better leave that go." He warns me. "I don't want to get cold."

I look up at Oliver and give him the most disappointing frown. He _was_ going to get kiss, but not now. I can see he's stifling a small laugh.

"Relationships are about sacrifice, Lills." He reminds me softly.

Oliver reaches up and tucks some stray strands of hair behind my left ear. His finger draws a line across my cheek and down my chin. Then his arms circle me, slowly guiding me down to lay directly on top of his heart. He is right about the temperature getting hotter. I feel his skin is warm, and honestly, he's a little sweaty. I don't mind at all. The constant rhythm in my ear is all I'm interested in at the moment.

I could fall asleep right now, and I bet Oliver could, too. Our eyes are both shut as we take in all the feelings. We each know just how bad the other one wants to drift off to dreamland. It's happened many times before, but not tonight.

There's something that's keeping me awake. A burning question. A never-ending thought. There's something I just have to know...

"Oliver?"

"Hmm?" His response vibrates through his body and through my ear.

"Why me?" I whisper low.

**Short, sweet, and much needed Loliver fluff! The whole story is going to be four or five set memories, during which Oliver explains another reason to Lilly's question. They'll span quite a few years, so it'll be interesting to write some parts from the younger days. Hopefully, they'll be in character the whole way through. Review and let me know what you think! Keep reading.**

**- Marissa  
drummer8097**

**Oh, also, I have a Loliver blog where I frequently update with story ideas, videos, episode reviews, random rants, ect. If you're interested, check the link in my profile.**


	2. Chapter 2

**An: Thanks to IheartORANGE, believeinlove08, lolly4eva, Dinosuarous-rex, .Fan, Princess Cutie, and CatchTheRainbow for reviewing! I also have a lot of story alert, so thanks for taking interest! So my update's about an hour late, I'm sorry. The main part of this chapter is Oliver's first reason/memory with Lilly. Hope you enjoy.**

**Also, because I was in a little bit of a rush to post the other night, I forgot to add my disclaimer. Honestly, if I owed the characters Lilly and Oliver or had anything to do with Mitchel Musso or Emily Osment...would I REALLY be sitting her typing this? Just give it a thought before you sue me... **

"What?" He asks, opening his eyes.

My eyes open as pick my head up to meet his. "Why _me_?"

Oliver has the cutest look on his face when he gets confused. His head tilts like an owls and he blinks his deep, brown eyes at me. "What are you talking about?"

My face starts to redden and I become embarrassed. I'm having second thoughts about explaining myself. "N-Nothing. Never mind..."

"No..." He places his hand on my cheek. "You asked me something and I wanna answer you."

We're having an awkward staring moment. This hasn't happened in years. It feels like we're crushing teenagers all over again.

"Well," I sigh. "It's just...I'm just...confused..."

"That's makes two of us." Oliver replies. He's always one to try to save an uncomfortable moment with a laugh.

I know I can't beat around the bush any longer. I come out and say exactly what's on my mind: "What made you chooseme, Oliver? _Me_? All of our lives you've always picked me. We've been side-by-side, inseparably bonded for years. I've always wonder why..._why_ on earth would you want to be with _me_ when you could have had _any_ girl?"

"What in the world makes you ask that?" He whispers. I sink my head in shame. I can't believe I really asked Oliver that question. He must think I'm an idiot.

"I don't know..." Now my eyes are starting to water, but he can't see that. I'm ruining the best night of my life. How can I be so stupid?

"I always thought you knew." Oliver answers. He tilts my chin up with his pointer finger. "But if you really want to know, I can tell you."

There's a knot growing in my throat. I swallow at it as I choke back tears. "Please..." I beg softly.

"Let me ask _you_ something first." He says. "Do you remember preschool?"

I'm still trying to regain my composure so I nod faintly for a response.

I feel Oliver sit up in his bed. The box spring creaks and cracks.

"Well," Oliver clears his throat quietly. "That's when it all began."

"The crayons?" My voice cracks. Oliver nods.

"Yes, my dear. The crayons..."

* * *

_I am standing in the doorway my preschool classroom pouting. It's my first day, and I don't want leave the comfort of my mother's side. "But Mommy! I don't wanna go to school!" _

_"All girls and boys have to go to school, honey." She explains, brushing my hair from my face. "And it's only for a few hours."_

_"No!" I continue to whine. "Don't leave me alone!"_

_"You won't be alone." She squats down to my level. "See that little boy sitting over there?" _

_My mother points to a short boy with floppy brown hair sitting at a table in the corner by himself. He has on khaki cargo shorts and lime green shirt with a skateboard on it. His Spiderman sneakers light up from the sides as he taps his foot against a table leg. Staring at a piece of white paper with a pencil in hand, the boy seems to be concentrating on drawing something. _

_"That's mommy's friend Nancy's little boy." She explains. "You remember Mrs. Oken?"_

_"Yeah." I sniffle. My nose is stuffy from crying._

_"Go sit with him." She suggests. "He'll be your friend."_

_I look over at the boy at once more then back to my mom. "Ok..." I concede. My mother gives me a hug and kiss and nudges me inside the classroom._

_I stand still for a few minutes. Looking around the room, I see a handful of kids running all over the place. Most of the girls are playing with dolls. Most of the boys are chasing those girls and ripping the heads off their dolls. None of that looks fun to me. I think I really am going to sit with the little brown haired boy. Slowly, but surely, I make my way to his table. _

_"...Hi..." I say cautiously._

_The boy stops drawing and looks up at me. "Hi!"_

_"Whatcha doing?" I ask after a short pause._

_"Drawing a spaceship." He explains, going back to his work._

_"Cool." I reply. I'm just standing there like a statue. I don't know what I'm supposed to do next. How does one go about making friends?_

_"You wanna draw with me?"_

_Finally the silence is broken. I nod and take a seat in the vacant chair next to him. _

_There's an extra sheet of paper and a pencil on the table. I grab them and place the paper in front of me._

_"What you gonna draw?" He asks me._

_I stop and think for a few seconds. "Flowers." I reply. "My name is a flower."_

_"Your name's flower?" The boy raises an eye brow at me. It's the first time I've seen his whole face. He's got brown eyes and a dorky smile._

_"No!" I giggle. "It's a kind of flower! My name's Lilly!"_

_"Lilly." He repeats. "That's a pretty name."_

_"What's yours?" _

_"Oliver!" He replies cheerfully and proud. "Oliver Oscar Oken!"_

_"Oliver!?" I do my best not to laugh, but I'm only four. That's not an easy task. "That's silly!"_

_"You're silly, Lilly!" Oliver shouts at me._

_"No, I like your name." I tell him. "It's like the vegetable...olives!"_

_"You like those?" Oliver asks curiously._

_"I think I've had them before." I reply._

_"I got an idea!" Oliver exclaims. "You draw lilies and I'll draw olives!"_

_"Ok!" _

_I know I am named after the flower, but I've never actually seen a lily. In all reality, I end up drawing a daisy, but to Oliver and me, it's a lily._

_"That looks real pretty." He praises my artwork. Oliver holds up his. "Mine's just a bunch of circle thingies around my spaceship..."_

"_I like it!" I say. "I wish we had some crayons..."_

_"I have some!"_

_Oliver bends down and reaches in his open backpack beside him on the floor. He rummages around for a second or two, then pulls out giant box of crayons._

_"Whoa!" I say in awe. "Is that the Sixty-four pack!?"_

"_Yep!" Oliver nods. "And look at this!"_

_Oliver spins the box around to the back. Before he can open his mouth, I squeal out an "eep" of joy._

"_The sharpener! You got the Sixty-four pack with the sharpener!"_

_"Sure do!" He replies and opens the flap. My eyes widen at the vast array of colors._

"_Wow! That's so cool!" I exclaim. "Can I use it, Oliver!?"_

_"I don't know..." He says shakey. "They're brand new. I don't want them to wear down."_

"_That's why you have the sharpener!" I shout._

_"You'll break them." He says firmly._

"_No, I won't, Oliver! I promise!"_

_I watch as Oliver takes out a darker shade of blue from the pack and begins to color the body of his spaceship._

"_I can't leave it like this!" I fight. "Have you ever seen a black and white flower!?"_

_Oliver returns the blue crayon to its proper place and chooses a bright yellow to color the stars in the sky._

"_Are you listening to me!?"_

_No, he's not. Oliver's ignoring my every word. My mom said that this boy would be my friend. Instead, he's being a jerk._

_I let out a frustrated sigh and slouch back in my chair. My arms are folded across my chest and I'm staring down at the dull flower. I shift my eyes to the box and then to Oliver. "Can I at least use orange?"_

_I watch as Oliver stops coloring with the yellow crayon. He looks over at the box and runs his finger over the different choices of orange. His finger lands on the regular shade. Slowly, Oliver lifts the crayon from its holder. I smile at him and stick out my hand._

"_I need to color the flame orange." He says and turns away in his seat._

_Right now, I don't know whether to scream or cry. A mixture of hurt feelings and frustration swirl within me. I really want that crayon. I need that crayon. How do I get him to give it to me? _

_Oliver is in deep concentration as he colors. His tongue peaks out from the corner of his mouth slightly. He has one hand laying flat on the table to hold down his paper. _

_I'm not entirely sure how, but my brain hatches a plan that's way advanced for the average preschooler. I know what will work:_

_I grab a hold of Oliver's free hand with mine own, lacing our fingers together..._

_The second we touch, Oliver drops the crayon. It rolls down the table and lands with a soft thud on the floor. He slowly turns his head and focuses on our hands. His eyes glue to that sight. Our hands never move: we are still. Eventually, Oliver picks his head up and looks at me. I've got a smile on my face as I try to cover a small fit of giggles._

"_I knew it'd work." I praise myself._

_"Wha...What are you doing?" He asks nervously._

"_Holding your hand, dummy!" I announce._

_"Why?" Oliver's eyes widen._

"_My mommy says that when you like someone, you hold their hand."_

_"Oh..." Oliver begins to turn red in the face. "You're the first girl to hold my hand...other than my mommy."_

_We sit in silence for a few minutes. Neither of us knows what to say or do next._

_"Lilly?"_

"_Yeah?"_

_"Does your tummy feel funny?" He asks me._

"_Yeah...a little..." I reply. "Does yours?"_

_"A little." He says. "I think that's the butterflies."_

"_What?" It's my turn to be confused._

_"My mommy says when you like someone, you get butterflies in your tummy."_

"_Oh..." Is all I can say._

_I think long and hard about what Oliver said. I have butterflies inside me? Oliver has them, too? How did they get there? _

"_Lilly?" Oliver says my name._

_"Yeah?"_

"_Here..." He hands me the orange crayon with a smile. "Color your pretty Lily."_

_"Thanks." I smile back at him. I go to remove my hand from his, but Oliver won't let go of it. I try to pull away three times, but nothing works. Finally, I look over at him._

"_Can I have my hand back, Ollie?" I didn't realize what I had called him until he gives me a funny look. "Oliver's too long to say. I like Ollie better."_

_"Leave it there, Lil...Lills." Oliver makes up his own nickname for me. "I...I kinda like it..."_

"_I kinda like it, too." I say._

_We both stare at our hands and blush. Oliver turns away to look over his drawing. I begin to color in my flower. We both have big smiles on our faces. School's not so bad after all..._

* * *

"I was starting to think you'd never give it to me." I adjust myself so I'm sitting back on my legs.

"I never thought you'd hold my hand just so I would." He replies.

I lean in close to his face. "You were being quite the butthead that day." Gently, I tap the side of his noise with my pointer finger like I'm scolding a puppy.

"I admit it now." Oliver says. "But I changed my mind, didn't I?"

" 'Cause I grabbed that sticky, lollypop- covered hand of yours." I say smug.

"Or so you think..." Oliver trails. "You didn't notice, but I watched you sulk in your seat. All it took was once glace at your sweet, innocent little face and your heart being broken for me to I fall under your spell. I_ had _to share my crayons with you."

"Really?" I ask in slight disbelief.

"I couldn't see you sad like that, honey." Oliver puts both hands on the sides of my face. "Then, you held my hand, and I got the butterflies. You're the first and _only_ one to ever give me butterflies." He caresses my cheek with his thumb. "I've had them ever since…"

I stare down at his face. He has the look like he wants me to kiss him and expect all my doubts to vanish.

But it's not that simple...

**Writing my own take on that fateful day in preschool that we Loliver shippers love was quite a task. I've seen so many different versions. Mine's probably not the best, but it's a spin. I'm not sure when the third chapter/second memory will be posted. If you've read my profile, you know I go to school for music production. I'm going to be in the studio recording this week and next, but I promise to update as soon as I can. Leave your thoughts and keep reading!**

**Marissa  
drummer8907**


	3. Chapter 3

****

**AN: Normally, I'd write out the list of people I need to thank for reviewing. On account of what's been happening in the Loliver world these past few days, I'm so buzzed right now that my mind is blanking...but I thank EVERYONE! You know who you are! So after spending all of March 24th and 25th spazzing and stalking the CF boards, I've finally calmed down enough to finish this chapter and update. This is reason/memory number two. It takes place in when they're still pretty young, so if it's a little weird, you know why. **

**Though this story is in no way, shape, or form comparable to WIDLAY if you've seen it, (I've taken the oath to wait it out and celebrate on April 19th myself) I hope you guys like it.**

"I gave you butterflies before I could even tie my shoes?" I sound very skeptical. "There's got to be more to it than that."

"Much more." He explains, removing his hands and folding them on his chest. "Fourth grade picnic ring a bell?"

* * *

_It's the last day of school, and I couldn't be more excited. The entire fourth grade of Seaview Elementary is down at the community park for the annual end of the year picnic. Mother Nature sends warm, sunny weather. There are so many kids here that I don't recognize half of them. I'm not really friends with the ones I do recognize either. Teachers try to keep everyone in line, but their efforts aren't working. Is it really possible to tame forty-five rambunctious nine year olds? _

_Oliver and I are running wild. It's obvious that we've had too much sugar, but neither of us seem to care. _

_"Tag! You're it!" Oliver taps the side of my shoulder and flies past me._

_"Get back here, you donut!" I shout, taking off after him. _

_We look so dorky in our school polos and jeans our teachers forced us to wear. They're a powder blue with yellow lettering. An outline of a pirate is sandwiched between the school's name and our own name in the right hand corner of the shirt. _

_I chase after Oliver as fast at lightening speed. I'm dodging classmates and the occasional bench. Oliver heads straight for the biggest piece of equipment in the playground. He climbs up a set of stairs, and that's when I loose the sight of him._

_"Trying to hide from me, huh?" I say, scanning the whole area. _

_There's a million and one places Oliver could be, but I know this kid better than anyone else. Oliver's favorite hiding spot is no secret to me. Today, however, I decide to play dumb. _

_"Oliver?" I climb the same set of stairs and stand on the top platform. "Where are you, Ollie?" I call out to him._

_I start my fake search for Oliver. He's not under the slide, or beneath the bouncy bridge. All of the rooms in the replica castle are empty, and no one's on board the old, wooden pirate ship. There's only one place I didn't look: the bright yellow tunnel connector tube that leads to the monkey bars._

_Now it's time for a little acting. "I've looked everywhere!" I exclaim in frustration, throwing my hands up in the air. My brain hatches a nice little idea as I walk around in circles. "Now who'm I gonna share this Fudgy Buddy with!?"_

_"Fudgy Buddy!?" Out pops Oliver's head from the tube. He sticks out like a whack-a-mole. It takes a lot to hold back a laugh from this sight. "You have one!?"_

_"May-be." I reply. I already have a hand behind my back simulating the fact. _

_His eyes are widening as he stares at me. "You're gonna share with me?" He asks._

_"Only if you come outta there!" I state my demand. _

_Oliver wastes no time emerging from his hiding spot. He stumbles a bit as he quickly climbs out and walks over to my side. "You're the best, Lills!" Oliver complements and sticks out his hand to receive the treat._

_"Aww, thank you, Ollie!" I say sweetly. "But I don't have a Fudgy Buddy..." Slowly, I reveal my trick; my hand is empty. _

_"What?" Oliver's face falls._

_"But I did get something." I say with a smile on my face._

_"What's that?" He asks pateintly._

_I reach out and slap his shoulder. "You! Gotch ya!" I shout. Before Oliver can react, I am way out of reach. I jump down from the platform and start running as fast as I can. My giggles can be heard all the way across the park. _

_"Lilly!" Oliver cries out after me. He decides to take the easier way down and use the small slide to his left. The opposite chase begins_

_When I turn my head around, I can see Oliver gaining on me. He may not look like it, but Oliver is a fast runner. We're a fair match thanks to our favorite hobby of skateboarding. He's only behind because of my head start._

_I make my way to the far end of the playground. My favorite place is here: the jungle gym. The dome-like, silver jungle gym is approaching rapidly and so is Oliver. The wind is blowing my blonde hair in my face, making it a little difficult to see. _

_Oliver is but three steps from me once I reach my destination. I make the split-decision to climb to the very top. _

_"Oh no! I'm trapped up here!" I pull out some more fake dramatic acting. "I guess I give up!"_

_I look down at Oliver. He's at the bass of the jungle gym, still as a statue. His face should be flush from running all this way, but it's pale._

_"I said, I guess I give up!" I repeat myself, thinking Oliver may not have heard. I continue to stare. There's no movement, change, or response. Something's wrong._

_"I'm surrendering to you." I announce, holding my hands high. "So just come up."_

_I hear Oliver swallow hard. "W-Why don't you come down instead?"_

_"You don't look so good." I tell him truthfully. "What's wrong?"_

_"N-Nothing." He stutters. "I-I just don't wanna play anymore..."_

_"Ollie," I say his name softly. "Are you too scared to climb?"_

_"Who, me!?" He replies, laughing nervously. "I'm not scared of anything!"_

_"It's ok if you are." I explain in the same tone. Suddenly, I'm turning into Mr. Rodgers. I know he's trying to be brave, but I can see through it._

_There's a short pause. Oliver looks around then back up at me. "I'm afraid of heights." He mutters with his head down, kicking at the woodchip-covered ground._

_"You only think you're afraid." I say._

_"No, I know I am." Oliver says firmly. _

_"Have you ever tried to climb to the top?" I ask._

_"No." He replies blunt._

_"Then how do you know you're afraid if you've never tried?" _

_I can tell Oliver's becoming embarrassed. His cheeks are red and he's trying to hide it from me._

_"Tell you what." I say, climbing down half way before jumping to the ground. "I'm gonna show ya how. That way, you won't be scared anymore!"_

_"Uh, t-that's ok, L-Lilly..." Oliver starts to back away from the jungle gym. "I'm fine with being scared..."_

_"No!" I grab his shirt and pull him back to me. I place my hands on his shoulder and look in his eyes. "You can't run away from your fears, Ollie!"_

_"But Lilly!" He whines._

_"But nothing!" I scream. "There's nothing to be afraid of!"_

_Oliver looks down at his shoes. I hope he's not going to cry. Please tell me I didn't just make want to hate me for the rest of our lives. I need Oliver. I can't loose him over this! My stomach is turning at the mire thought._

_"I'm sorry" I whisper. "I just wanna see you be able to do this."_

_I let go of Oliver's shoulders and walk back to the jungle gym. I place my right foot on the first bar. I turn my head towards him. "Will you at least watch me?" _

_Oliver sniffles and nods. I form a faint smile to try to ease his pain. _

_"All you do is put your feet up on the one bar," I place my left foot parallel to my right so I am completely elevated. "Grab a hold of the one of the sides, then pull yourself up to the next one." I continue to climb very slowly, looking back down at Oliver after each step. When I reach the top, I find a bar and sit. "Tada!" I say, waving at him._

_"You make it look easy." He tells me._

_"That's cause it is!" I reply. I wait a few seconds before saying anything. "Now, it's your turn!"_

_"Lilly..." Oliver gulps. He's so uncertain._

_"If I can do it, you can do it, Oliver." I say with the utmost confidence._

_Oliver removes his eyes from me. With a deep breath, he cautiously raises his right foot and places it on the bar. He grips the surrounding metal and lifts his other foot. Soon, Oliver is standing one whole step above the ground._

_"Good job!" I yell down to him. "Move on to the next step."_

_Oliver ends up standing still for a few minutes. I don't say a word. I'm not going to rush him. It's best if Oliver does this at his own pace._

_"Hey, this isn't so bad!" Oliver exclaims, conquering the second level. _

_"Keep going!" I reply._

_Oliver has one foot on the third bar, when I hear myself blurt out the worst possible thing to say: "Whatever you do, don't look down!"_

_The second the words escape my mouth, I see Oliver tilt down his head, his brown hair staring up at me. His neck snaps back up a millisecond later with pure fear in his eyes. I smack my hand against my forehead. Way to go, Lilly..._

_"I'm too high up!" Oliver shouts. "I want down, Lilly!"_

_"You're half way there!" I tell him. "You can't quit now!"_

_"G-Get me down, Lills!" Oliver's body starts to shake. _

_"You promised you'd try!" I yell. _

_"No, I said I'd watch you!" Oliver fights._

_"I'm not letting you quit, Oliver!" I shout. "I'll help you up, but you're not backing down!"_

_"Why can't I!?" He screams. "I told you I can't do this!"_

_"I don't care what you told me, I know you can!" _

_Oliver just stares up at me blankly. His eyes are turning red again. I know I can't stop him from crying, but I can't let him fail either. "I believe in you, Ollie! You need to believe in yourself!"_

_I'm in shock when Oliver closes his eyes. I think he's going to start the waterworks, but I'm wrong. He breathes sharply out of this nose. When his eyes reopen, they have a different look. Fear is no long controlling Oliver. Honestly, I don't know what is. I watch as he inches his way closer to me. There's only one more bar left._

_"C'mon, Oliver!" I encourage. "Look how close you are!" _

_Excitement gets the best of Oliver. He goes to reach for the final bar when his sneakers slip on the sleek metal beneath him. I gasp as the vision of him falling flashes before my eyes. Oliver's reflexes aren't very quick, but he manages hang on to a part of the jungle gym loosely with his left hand. The rest of his body dangles a few feet below me. _

_"Lilly!" Oliver's voice is high pitched. Both our hearts are pounding away in our chests. He's beyond terrified and looking at me like a deer in headlights. I got in him this mess. I'm going to get him out of it._

_I situate myself so I'm lying flat on my stomach. My feet are hooked securely around the bars on the other side. I stretch my arm out as far as they reach._

_"You can't pull me! You'll fall, too!" He worries._

_"I'll be fine, just grab my arm!" I ignore his insecurities._

_"Lilly I-"_

_"Oliver, look at me!" I command and he does so. "Would I ever let you fall?"_

_"No." Oliver replies without taking any time to think. "And I'm not going to."_

_"Of course not, now c'mon!" I wave my arm back and forth. I see Oliver stretch out his, but he doesn't reach for me._

_He reaches for the bar beside me instead and pulls himself up to the top..._

_"You did it!" I cry, getting back to a sitting position. I wrap my arms around Oliver to give him a big hug. I feel his heart still beating wildly and his breathing is heavy._

_"Yeah...I...did, didn't...I?" Oliver spits out between breaths. Anxiety is still here._

_I wait until his breathing normalizes before ending the hug. "I always knew you could." I flash a smile._

_"Wow!" Oliver says, looking straight out in awe. "You can see the whole park from up here!"_

_"That's why it's my favorite spot." I tell him._

_We sit up top the jungle gym laughing and telling stories for what seems like forever. There's talk about going to have a contest to see who can jump the father off of the swing, but no one budges. This place is much more satisfying to the two of us._

_When we see the kids running towards the parking lot, we know our day of fun is at its end. Sadly, neither of us wants to leave our spot. I ask Oliver if he needs help getting down, but surprising, he declines. He climbs down the whole way unassisted and with a dorky, ear-to-ear grin. I happily wait for him at the bottom and pat his back once he's on solid ground. This was by far a great day for both of us..._

* * *

"I've never been more proud of you." I scoot closer to Oliver and ruffle his shaggy hair. It's shorter and less bushy than our high school days, but it's always been one of my favorite things about him.

"Thanks." He smiles up at me. I catch him blushing a bit. "But I owe it all to you, babe."

"You don't owe me anything." I say sweetly. I look down at him. "Well, maybe just a kiss or two...or loose the shirt completely."

"You never have to ask for kisses, Lills." His soft lips press against my nose. He ignores my request for total removal of his top.

"Not _that_ kind of kiss. I want a _real_ kiss!" I tell him.

Oliver chuckles. "Oh, they're be plenty of time for that later, my dear." I give the puppy dog face in disapproval, but yet again, he ignores me. "I'm not finished explaining."

"What's left to explain?" I ask. "You scaled a jungle gym for the first time. Woo-hoo!" I tack on some sarcasm at the end.

Oliver tries not to laugh. "Oh Lilly, you think it's nothing, but to me, it was a huge deal. You didn't just help me climb a piece of playground equipment; you instilled confidence in me that I so badly needed."

"All I did was coach you." I explain. "You did the rest on your own."

"Yes, but, you _believed_ in me, honey." Oliver whispers. "You may think all you did was give me the strength to conquer one childhood phobia, but in reality, it's so much more."

"Ollie babe," I begin, but Oliver puts his finger to my lips to quiet me.

"All my fears died that day thanks to you." He continues. "I know that I have your strength, your encouragement, and your support." Oliver finally lifts his finger away as he says his final words: "With you by my side, I can take on _anything_."

"I really hate your sweet talk." I reply, biting my lip. I don't want to get emotional.

"_Really_?" Oliver asks sly. "I like _every_ way you talk." He slouches back in the bed and kisses my neck. "But I also like when you _don't_ talk and just lay here with me..."

My feelings rise and take over my brain's ability to reason. I let Oliver continue his actions. I can't describe how it feels. It's not very long before I snap back to reality and pull out of his range.

"I'm not that ease, Oken."

**Oh, the bed fluff. How easy that was to write after the new pics! I kinda modeled the flashback based on half an actual event, but it's all Loliver goodness. I'm sure everyone's still on a high, but if by any chance someone has taken the time to read this, let me know what you think. I'm still UBER busy in the studio, but I'm not letting this fic go to waste now that we've got the greatest motivation EVER! (Though I'm taking this love one episode at a time.) Keep reading!**

**Marissa  
drummer8907**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Thanks to IheartORANGE, amandajbruce, believeinlove08, CatchTheRainbow, Princess Cutie, AHigherOctave, .Fan, and 89 for reviewing and EVERYONE who has this on story alert. I know it's been a long time since I've updated, so thanks for being patient. I had a computer melt down last week and lost enough to make me have to start this chapter over completely. Emily (IheartORANGE) has been give me "friendly nudges" to post, so I stayed up all last night and finished my BIGGEST UPDATE EVER: 14 PAGES. (When I get in the writing mood, I WRITE.)**

**The memory takes place the summer before freshman year. Incase anyone forgets/doesn't know, there's absolutely NO Miley/Hannah in this story. WIDLAY's proof enough that they need their alone time. Enjoy.**

"I never said you were." He replies.

"We were in _fourth grade_." I emphasize. "You didn't even know what any of that really meant in elementary school!"

"Maybe not." He says stretching. "But I'll tell you when I did know how special you are to me."

"And when was that?" I ask.

"What comes to mind when I say 'summer of 06?"

A big smile forms on my face. "The Oken family vacation."

* * *

_I'm walking up from the beach with my boogie board under my arm. There's nothing like a little early morning swim. Even after being in the water for a few hours, the blazing hot summer heat still gets me. I hear my stomach growl as I approach civilization. Boarding takes a lot of energy out of a person. I need to refuel._

_I sit down on a stool at the shack and prop my board against it. My order is the usual: a hotdog with mustard and a medium soda. That's the late breakfast, early lunch of champions. Thankfully, the food is ready quick. I'm in dire need of nourishment. Just as I am about to take a big bite of my hotdog, I hear my name being called from across the beach._

_"Lilly!"_

_I don't need to see the face that matches that voice. I already know it's Oliver. He appears speeding from the direction of his house, kicking up sand with every step. I watch as he trips over a wooden chair and almost falls flat on his face. Somehow, he regains control, but ends his run by slamming into the counter of the shack._

_"Take it easy, captain clumsy!" I tease. Oliver's hunched over and breathing heavily._

_"Cell phone!" He pants. "You didn't answer!"_

_"I've been in the water all morning." I tell him. "And what the heck are you doing here, anyway? I thought you were leaving on vacation today."_

_"Not yet...can't leave...wait for you...!" _

_I shoot a confused look. Oliver's words aren't comprehendible between gasps of air. The boy's not out of shape, but he's sucking wind like he just ran a marathon._

_"Here." I hand him my cup of soda. By the look on his face, I can tell Oliver is very grateful. He takes a few long sips and places the cup down on the counter. _

_"I've been whining to my parents all week that we're going on vacation too late this year." He explains. Everything is much clearer now that he's calm. "School starts in less than a week, and I don't want to spend it away."_

_"So, you're not going?" I ask, reaching to take my back soda so that I may have a drink. After all, I really need some liquid, too._

_"Oh, we're going." Oliver replies. "And you're coming with me..."_

_I nearly choke on the carbonated beverage. A loud gulping sound escapes as it slides down my throat. "What!?"_

_"I talked it over with my parents." He replies. "You're going up to the cabin with us."_

_"B-But what about my mom?" I stutter. "I can't just leave town for a week without her knowing!"_

_"Already took care of that this morning." Oliver announces. "I called your house thinking you were still asleep. Your mom and my parents worked everything out."_

_"She's cool with it!?" I'm surprised. This scenario doesn't seem like one that would get my mother's approval._

_"You've got the green light!" Oliver reports happily. "So what do you say, Lilly? Spend your last summer days on vacation with me?"_

_This is all a bit overwhelming. I want to scream a yes and break into an embarrassing happy dance. A teeny tiny part of my brain fears the situation, though. I'm not sure why, but something tells me it isn't right to go off with Oliver. Now that we're teenagers, people would look at us spending the week living together as something completely out of proportion to what it really is. I don't want to have the rumors start flying when we get back on the first day of school. High school nonetheless._

_"Lilly?"_

_Oliver waves his hand in front of my face. I snap back from my mental state._

_"Please?" He begs, quivering his lower lip. How can I deny Oliver with that face? He does it better than me! It seems like the older we get, the more we give in to each other's requests. (Believe me; we've each done some stupid things...)_

_"When's the bus leave?" I reply with a smile. Oliver's face lights in up return. That's exactly what I want to see._

_"Oh, we're not taking a bus. My dad's driving." He replies._

_I roll my eyes and sigh. "It's just an expression, Oliver." _

_"Right." He blushes. "Well, anyway, we're leaving pretty soon."_

_"How soon is soon?" I finally pick up the hotdog that's been sitting in front me growing cold for five minutes now._

_"Well, you know..." Oliver looks around. "In an hour-ish..."_

_"An hour!?" I exclaim, dropping the hotdog to its paper container. So close, yet so far..._

_"Ish!" Oliver tacks on a suffix to make things seem better. Honestly, it's not helping._

_"You're just telling me this now!?" I shout._

_"I've been trying to reach you all morning!" He defends._

_"How am I supposed to pack in that kind of time!?" I ask frantic._

_"You don't need that much." Oliver replies. "All I'm taking is five days of worth of clothes, a tooth brush, my iPod...and you." He smiles._

_"So prepared." I state sarcastically_

_"As always." Oliver praises himself. I opt not to make a comment at his inability to understand sarcasm._

_"Well unlike you, I need to hurry if we're going to make it." I tell him, quickly getting up from the stool. My drink only has a half of a sip left, so I toss it in the trash can. Time is of the essence. I turn around and start to jog off the beach._

_"Lilly wait!" Oliver calls after me. When I turn around I see I have forgotten my board._

_"Don't worry about the board, it's a rental." I explain, thinking that's why Oliver stopped me._

_"I was just gonna ask if I could have your hotdog." Oh that dork and his innocent smile._

_"Yeah, whatever." I reply. My stomach growls loudly in protest, but I don't have time for an argument. I stay long enough to see Oliver take a humongous first bite, then resume my desperate dash home._

_I pack up faster than I ever have in my life. The Okens arrives the minute I zip my suit case shut. As I fly down the stairs, I give my mother a quick goodbye. Oliver's waiting for me at my door. He takes my suit case from me and stows it in the back of his father's car. Acting like a chauffeur, Oliver holds open the car door for me._

_"After you." He winks._

_I smile and get in the back seat, sliding over to behind the driver's side. Oliver scoots in next to me, taking the small space in the middle. My right leg and his left on are touching._

_"Don't you want your window seat?" I ask._

_"Not today." He answers casually_

_"It's a long drive." I tell him. "We'll be squished like this for a couple of hours." It's not that I want Oliver to move, I just don't see why he chooses to be this close to me._

_"Doesn't bother me." Oliver rummages around in his pocket and pulls out his green iPod and ear phones. "Fully charged and ready to go." He says, handing me the left ear piece. I take it and put the tiny speaker in my ear. Oliver does the same with his and sets the music player to shuffle._

_The drive up is very quiet. I lean back against the seat stare out the window. Habitats are changing the farther north we travel. Exhaustion from being active earlier is catching up with me. Slowly, my eyes shut, and the soft sound of Oliver's music lures me to sleep._

_Hours later, I wake to a sudden, loud snore. My eyes fly open, and I jump back in my seat. In doing so, I feel some extra weight on my shoulder. Oliver's passed out and resting his head there. _

_"Oliver, wake up." I yawn, stretching. No matter how I move the boy still manages to stay asleep. _

_"Oliver?" I repeat, but there's no answer. Gently, I remove his ear phone, thinking that will do the trick. I'm wrong. It's completely ineffective. I lean in close to his ear._

_"Oliver!"_

_My scream is piecing enough. It startles Oliver. He jolts up from his position with a scream of his own._

_"Lilly!" Oliver covers his ears with his hands._

_"You were five seconds away from drooling on me!" I explain. "Besides, I think we're here."_

_Both of us just now notice that the car isn't moving and Oliver's parents are gone._

_"Guess you're right." Oliver replies. He unbuckles his seat belt and I do the same. We climb out of the car to retrieve our things._

_Scenery has taken a 180 degree turn. Malibu palm trees and humid air are missing. There are tall oak trees and a cool breeze of fresh air instead. The small, cozy cabin stands in front of us. So far, I love what I see._

_We look around for Mr. and Mrs. Oken. They must be inside already because there belongings are nowhere to be found. Oliver carries both of our bags as I follow him up the gravel walk way and into the front door._

_"There you two are!" Mr. Oken announces his son's and my arrival. He's sitting on the couch next to Oliver's mom._

_"How long have we been here?" Oliver asks._

_"Oh, about an hour maybe." His dad replies after looking at his watch._

_"An hour!?" Oliver exclaims. "You left Lilly and me in the car that long!?"_

_"You were sleeping, dear." Mrs. Oken says. "You guys looked so peaceful and cute that your father and I didn't want to wake you."_

_Oliver's face turns red. I feel mine flush from embarrassment as well. This isn't the first time someone has told Oliver and I that we look "cute" together. However, it's a first coming from either of our families. _

_"I'm gonna go put these bags down." He finds a good excuse to dodge the awkward situation from his parents and turns to me. "C'mon."_

_I follow Oliver like a lost dog. I've never been to the cabin before. As much as Oliver talks about this place, I'm not sure where anything is. From the outside, it looks much smaller._

_"Here we are." Oliver says when we reach the final destination. "Home, sweet home, Lills." He drops the bags at his side._

_"It's nice." I say, surveying the room. It seems very spacious because of the lack of furniture. I see a chest of drawers and a nightstand with a small lamp on it. Next to that is the twin-sized bed with a thick blue comforter._

_"This bed is the most comfortable thing in the world!" Oliver tells me as he walks over and flops on it. He puts his arms behind his head and lets out a relaxing sigh. "But you can have it tonight."_

_"Tonight?" I raise an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"_

_"Since it's your first night here, I figured I'd let you take the bed." He sits up as he explains. _

_"Don't you have one in your room?" I look at him confused._

_"This is my room." Oliver replies. "You're staying with me."_

_I hear Oliver's explanation, but I'm not so sure how to react. A teenage girl and boy sharing a room together? "Wha-What?"_

_"This place only has two bedrooms; my parent's and this one."_

_"W-Well I can...I can sleep on the couch." I offer. I'm doing this for my own good._

_"My dad usually passes out on it." He says._

_My only option fails. I don't have a back up plan. "So where are you going to sleep?"_

_"The floor." Oliver states simply. "There's extra pillows and stuff."_

_"But it's your room." I guess I'm starting an argument. "I can't make you sleep on the hard floor!"_

_"It's no big deal, Lilly." Oliver assures. He stands up and walks over to me. "Unpack your stuff, and I'll go ask if I can show you around the grounds before dinner."_

_"Ok..." I say a little quiet and comply. _

_Oliver gives me a smile before he heads out the door. As I'm digging out clothes, a few thoughts swirl in my head. One is still making me feel guilty about the sleeping arrangements. The other wonders about Oliver's incredibly good mood and what's causing it... _

_The week is disappearing fast. I didn't think I'd be able to have so much fun on this trip. Believe it or not, there are tons to do here. Everyday Oliver and I find a new place to explore. Our favorite thing to do is go swimming in the lake of course. (Can't expect two Southern California born and raised kids go five days without some sort of water activity.) I'm sure we're making memories that will last a lifetime._

_What I'm not sure of is the donut. He's not acting entirely like himself..._

_We're together twenty-four seven. It's like he doesn't want to leave my side or me to leave his. I don't mind, because I love spending time him, but Oliver seems to be going about it in a different way. It feels like I'm five years old and Oliver is my big brother protecting me. Sometimes, it's actually kind of sweet (in a dorky way, of course.) He seems attached, extra nice, and rather chipper than usual. If I didn't know him, I'd say Smokin Oken's turning on the charm because he's after me..._

_Nah..._

_Its early evening on the last day of the vacation. We have a decent length of time to kill before dinner. Oliver and I decide to take one last hike in the woods by the lake._

_"C'mon, Lilly! Keep up!" Oliver's a good six feet in front of me and has been the whole time. I don't know how long we've been climbing, but it's definitely taking a toll on my body._

_"How about you slow down!" I plea, letting out a sharp breath. I stop walking and hunch over, placing my hands on my knees. Oliver turns around when he hears my panting._

_"Sorry." He apologizes, walking over to me. "I just wanted to get through this whole area before dinner."_

_"Oliver, do you even know where we are?" I ask blatantly. Something tells me we're in uncharted territory. _

_His eyes dart around nervously. "No...not exactly." _

_"Well that's just great!" I reply, flailing my arms. "We need to be back by six and that's...." I reach in to my shorts pocket and pull out my cell phone for a time check. "In ten minutes."_

_"Ten minutes!? We'll never make it!" Oliver shouts._

_"We will if we just-"_

_I feel a sudden breeze and see Oliver's red shirt fly past me in a blur._

_"Walk back together..." I finish with a sigh._

_My pace is steady and controlled, unlike Oliver's. For a while, I could see his hair through the trees. He's picking up so much speed now that I can only imagine how far ahead he is. _

_"I really wish you would have waited!" My voice echoes as I truck along down the hill. "You gonna get it when I get down there, Ollie!" _

_I continue walking and thinking of ways to punish Oliver. It won't be anything too evil, but something just sinister enough to let him know I'm pretty angry. Just as a brilliant idea comes to mind, the sound of a sudden thud startles me._

_"Oliver?" I call, scanning the woods. "Oliver, is that you?_

_"Lilly?" I hear a voice. It sounds too gruff to be Oliver's, but who else could it be?_

_"Don't play games with me, Oliver! I'm not in the mood."_

_I start walking again, but stop when hear the voice a second time._

_"Seriously, Lilly..." The voice trails._

_"What's wrong?" I shout. I'm starting to become a little scared. _

_There's a long pause before I get a response. "It...hurts..."_

_All of the sudden, my heart starts racing. I get a case of the shivers at the same time. My brain's not controlling my body. It's only picturing Oliver lying on the ground bleeding to death with his last words reverberating in my ears._

_"Where are you!?" I scream so loud it hurts my throat._

_"Just keep walking!" _

_I don't walk; I bolt down the hill as fast as I can. Fear mounts with each step. I can't help but think the worst. _

_Finally, I reach Oliver. He's lying on ground on his side, holding the lower half of his right leg. His neck's tilted back and he's gritting his teeth. My eyes then go directly to his face. It screams pain itself. _

_"What happened!?" I kneel down beside him._

_"Stupid...root!" He pants. A large, over-grown tree root is sticking up behind him. The small part of me that wants to scold him for running so fast without looking quickly dies as Oliver winces in pain._

_"Can you move your leg at all?" I ask, trying to be calm. Neither one of us are really good in crisis situations. Just another thing we have in common. _

_"It's not my leg, Lills." Oliver explains. "It's my ankle." _

_I walk on my knees over towards Oliver's foot. I roll down his sock and try to place my hand on the tender tendon._

_"Don't do that!" Oliver yelps. "It hurts!"_

_"You need to take your shoe off." I tell him. "I have to see if your ankle's swollen or not." _

_"Lilly Truscott the MD!" Oliver rolls his eyes._

_"Just do it!" I command._

_I watch as Oliver tries to remove his shoe. His hands are shaking, and I can tell it's hurting him more._

_"Oh forget it!" Oliver concedes. "We don't have time for this!"_

_Oliver then does the one of the stupidest things possible. He sits up and tries to situate himself in a manner that would make him be able to stand. I want to step in and help him right away, but I know he'll decline. Surprisingly, he gets to a crawling position quicker than I thought. The look of pain fills his eyes and never leaves. Holding on to a tree trunk, he some how pulls himself upright._

_"Alright." He says with a sigh. "Let's go."_

_Oliver removes his hand from the tree trunk. The second he tries to take a step, he looses his balance and falls on to me. His hands end up in some places that they shouldn't be, but I'm too worried about his injury to be thinking about that. _

_"You need help." I say in the most honest tone._

_"I'm a big boy, Lills." He grunts. "I got this!"_

_"You'll never make it to the cabin alone." I state the truth. "Why don't you just let me help you?"_

_"I don't need your help!" Oliver's head's resting on my shoulder from the fall. I can hear his hisses of pain in my ear. The warm air actually tickles a bit, but now's not the time to give in to giggles. _

_I pull away from Oliver slightly, causing him to lift up his head. Without saying a word, I grab a hold of his arm and wrap it around my shoulders. He's balancing on his one good foot while the other is bent and hovering above the ground. We both turn to face each other._

_"Slowly." I emphasize._

_The climb down is a fairly quiet one. Every once in a while, Oliver will make a noise from being in pain, but no words are spoken. I wonder what he's thinking. He should know I won't laugh at him and call him weak. I won't think he's any more of a klutz. Oliver will still be Oliver. This can never change him or the way I see him...right?_

_We finally reach the cabin and explain what happened to Oliver's parents. Between the three of us, we coax that stubborn boy to remove his sock and shoe. None of us are doctors, but I know enough from my long list of skateboarding accidents that Oliver has a sprained ankle, and it's swelling by the minute. Mrs. Oken makes Oliver sit in one of the wooden deck chairs outside and prop his leg up on a bench while we eat dinner. Our food's a little cold from being so late, but neither one of us complains. We're very hungry and tired._

_Night has fallen. I've just gotten out of the shower and dried my hair. I walk into the bed room to put some clothes away, thinking I'd see Oliver, but he's not there. I'm not sure how late it actually is, but way too late to be awake. Quietly, I tip toe around the entire cabin. Oliver's nowhere to be found. Where is he?_

_I'm just about to give up when I think of the one place I haven't checked. I walk over to the sliding screen door that leads to the deck and stand there. Looking out, I see Oliver's sitting in the same chair and position from dinner. He's just staring off into space. _

_I head back into the bedroom and grab a wool blanket from the dresser draw. Stopping at the kitchen, I take some ice from the freezer and put it in a plastic bag. There's a clean towel lying on the counter that I pick up as well. Wrapping the blanket around my shoulders and holding on to everything else, I make my way back to where I found Oliver. Hesitantly, I slide the door open and step outside._

_"Hey..." I speak softly._

_"Hey..." He replies without looking._

_"You want some company?" I ask, cautiously._

_"Sure." Oliver sticks to a one word reply._

_I inch my way around Oliver and the fire pit (which still has a little life left in it) to sit in the chair next to him. _

_"I brought you some ice." I hold up the towel-covered bag and hand it to him. "It'll help the swelling go down."_

_"Thanks." He accepts the ice and lays it on his pink and puffy ankle. Oliver still won't face me, though. A moment of silences passes before I speak up again._

_"It's a little chilly out here." I rub my hands together and stick them near the slowly dying fire. Oliver's in shorts and hoodie, but he still looks cold. "You want the blanket?"_

_"No." He replies. I wish he'd snap out of his zone and look at me when I talk to him!_

_"You're in shorts, Oliver. You're legs must be freezing." _

_"No." Oliver repeats with a hint of firmness._

_I sit up and unwrap the blanket from around me. Grant it, I'm only in my pajamas, but Oliver needs the extra warmth more. "Even in a hoodie, you should still take the blank-"_

_"I said no!"_

_We're both taken aback by Oliver's outburst. I worry his parents will wake. He glares at me for a few seconds, then immediately hangs his head._

_"Sorry." He mutters an apology. "I'm just in a lot of pain, that's all."_

_"I know..." I answer. Even though I would love to cover myself with the blanket, I fold it and place it in my lap._

_No one makes a move or a sound for what seems like forever. The last flame in the fires dies before anything happens._

_"Lilly?" I'm shocked to hear Oliver's voice. He's staring straight ahead once more. It's as if he can't look me in the eye anymore._

_"Yeah?"_

_"You should get some rest. We leave bright and early tomorrow."_

_"Alright." I say, getting up from my chair. "But I think you should turn in, too."_

_"I'm fine." He assures me. I don't want Oliver getting tense again, but want to keep going with my suggestion._

_"You can't stay out here all night, Oliver. Now c'mon." I remove the ice from his ankle and stick out my hand. "Let me help you up and get you inside."_

_Oddly enough, there's no verbal rejection. It takes a few tries, but I successfully pull Oliver to his feet (well, "foot.") Once again, I'm the crutch as he hobbles inside and to the bedroom. I pull the comforter down on the bed half way._

"_Sit." I tell him. Oliver complies. He unzips his hoodie and hands it to me. I toss it to the pile of Oliver's clothes on the floor. (At least my half of the room is clean.)_

_"Be carful when you lift up your right leg." I warn. "It'll probably hurt."_

_"Wait. Where are you sleeping?" He asks._

_"The floor." We sound like the opposite conversation we had on the first night._

_"I'm not sleeping in the bed if it means you have to sleep on the floor." Oliver folds his arms across his chest._

_"It's for one night, and I'll be just fine." I reply._

_"Lilly, you're not sleeping on the floor!" He protests loudly. I hold my finger up to my mouth to signal Oliver to shush._

_"If I don't sleep on the floor, then where the heck am I going to?" I'm stern, but quiet._

_Oliver's face scrunches as he lifts his legs into bed, but turns to a serious look once he's situated. "Here..." He pats the soft, sheet-covered mattress. "With me." _

_I feel my mouth drop a small amount, and then every part of me goes numb. "N-No." I stutter, backing away slowly. "N-No, Oliver I...I couldn't."_

_"You can and you're going to." He says, leaning forward. "Injured or not, it's rude to take the bed from you."_

_"B-But I told you, I'm fine with it." I'm so uneasy._

_"Please, Lilly." Oliver pleas. "Do it for my sake. I'll feel rotten if you don't."_

_It's hours past midnight, I'm extremely tired, and don't have the ability to reason with myself. I can deal with the consequences and the awkward moments in the morning. Right now, I just want Oliver to feel better and for both of us to get some well needed shut-eye._

_"Scoot over..." I cave. "If you can without hurting yourself."_

_Moving like this sends Oliver shooting pain, but he smiles through it. I climb in bed and squirm to get comfortable. How both of us fit in this tiny bed is beyond me. I'm on my side with my back toward Oliver. He's lying flat on his back. Oliver pulls the covers up to my shoulders._

_"Warm enough?" He asks._

_"I'm more concerned about that ankle of yours." I reply honestly._

_"For the last time, it's fine." He sighs. I guess I'm awfully annoying. "Now get's some sleep, ok?"_

_"I'll try." I say. "But I can't make any promises."_

_For some reason, Oliver laughs. "Night Lills."_

_"Night Ollie." I yawn._

_My eyes close shortly after that. It's been a crazy day and a very eventful week of vacation. I'm so beat that I can feel my dreams slowly starting to creep. Just before it begins, I hear Oliver's voice. He whispers something, but I'm not sure. Knowing Oliver, it could be something about food or a completely random subject._

_"Whatever it is you just said, I agree." I murmur. "Now go to sleep."_

_I don't know what I agreed to, because I fall asleep at that very moment to a dream of Malibu surf, sun, and spending more time with Oliver. _

* * *

"What did you say?" I ask, curiously tilting my head up to look at Oliver.

He looks down at me confused. "What are you talking about?"

"That night you messed up your ankle." I try to set the scene. "What did you whisper before falling asleep?"

"Goodnight?" Oliver responds clueless.

I shake my head. "After that."

"I don't remember, honey." He says sadly.

"I'll tell you what _I _think you said." I slyly roll over on my side to face Oliver. Our foreheads are touching, but our lips are inches apart. "I think you said you _loved _me and I agreed..."

"Hmm, that's an interesting theory." Oliver laughs "Maybe..." I feel his warm breath from his nose as he captures my lips for short kiss.

"You acted that way the whole trip." I remind him when he pulls away. "So flirty and super nice. It was kinda scary."

"I wasn't trying to be, honest." Oliver admits. "I just wanted have some quality time with you."

"I like our quality time now that we're_ older_." I take my finger and draw an invisible line down his exposed chest. Though his arms are still covered, I know I just gave Oliver goose bumps.

"S-Soon." He stutters. I smile. Oliver's starting to wear down, thanks to my tactics. "I never said thank-you."

"What for?" I question.

"Coming with me in the first place," Oliver begins counting with his thumb. "Putting up with my dorkiness and hassle, helping me down the hill, taking care of me for not only the rest of that night, but until I was better..." He stops on his pinky finger and looks up at me. "Thanks for being my best friend."

I respond by wrapping my arms around Oliver's back and pulling him close. He does the same. My hands are underneath that unbuttoned dress shirt of his, hoping I can somehow pry it off completely. Oliver realizes this and squirms a bit.

"I just wanna hold you." I complain into his neck.

"You're truly special, Lilly babe." He whispers in my ear. "Though I never admitted it, I've always thought so." Oliver rubs my back. Though what he says and does is sweet, I don't see why he's avoiding what I_ really _want.

"You too, baby." I reply with a content sigh. Physically, I don't want to move. Long, loving embraces from Oliver can melt any pain and make bad feelings disappear.

What it can't get rid of is my confusion. Things still aren't clicking for me. We didn't end up together this way. Oliver's hiding something else...

******If you survived this long update, I applaud you. I'll willingly admit I went overboard with the vacation. It probably should have just started with the woods, but I just love the idea of the Lilly and Oliver going away together. Besides, cute little moments are what Loliver is all about, right? I wanted to have this totally done before Lollie Day, but that's pushing it. The last memory takes place senior year. Obviously, it's post WIDLAY, but I'm thinking about putting my own spin on prom before **_**Promma Mia**_** airs next month. It may be the last chapter, but I'm foreseeing more bed fluff that I want to write :) **

**Enough of my babble. Leave your thoughts and keep reading!**

**-Marissa**


	5. Chapter 5

****

**Thanks to all who reviewed and waited so patiently for this update. I kept getting story alerts for a month, so I know there's interest. I could give a list of excuses for being late, but it all boils to down the typical issue of school. Well finals are over, I passed my sophomore year of college, and Loliver love is abundant! (Have you seen the OTTA promo? ADORABLE!) This is yet another big chapter. There are a few important things to point out before you read:******

**1. Although it's a prom memory, the time frame is **_senior year_**. It was planned in my original thought process before **_Promma Mia _**to have the story told this way.**

**2. To make visualizing easier on me and everyone else, their outfits are those that were worn in the episode. **

**3. It's not the typical prom...**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

I pull my arms back and stare at him. "Then how come it took us over half of high school to finally make it official?"

"Simple." Oliver pokes my stomach. "You're stubborn."

_"I'm _stubborn!?" I say in disbelief and poke him back. "_You're_ stubborn!"

Three seconds of silence and glaring at each other goes by before we laugh and reply in unison: "_We're _stubborn..."

"High school was great, wasn't it?" Oliver's question is rhetorical, but I nod in agreement.

"So many good times." I want to go back to snuggling, but my suspicion from earlier is keeping me from that.

"Do you have a favorite?" He asks, curious.

"Every second I got to spend with you." I say sweetly and pinch his cheek. That's something that gets under Oliver's skin, but I like doing it. It lets him know I have ways of torture, too, but it's meant to be loving this time. He stares at me as I remove my hand and smile like an innocent school girl.

"Even_ before _we got to together?" Suddenly, it's Oliver's turn to ask the questions. I need to remind him that's _he's_ the one under the interrogation light, not me.

"Yes, Ollie-pop. Every single moment." I lightly press my lips on the spot where I had pinched him. "Before and after."

Oliver blushes as I pull away. "Is it...wrong for me to have a favorite moment?"

"No." I play with part of his bangs, pushing hair from his face so that I may see Oliver's deep eyes. "What is it?"

"One word...prom."

* * *

_It's early evening on the night of mine and Oliver's senior prom. I've been up in my room for hours fiddling with my dress, hair, and make-up. Though I've gone through a slight style change in the past three years, I'm still a tomboy at heart. Sometimes wearing these fancy clothes can make me insecure with myself. In today's society, all teenage girls have to look like super models. I just want to look like Lilly._

_I stand in front of the full-length mirror mounted on the back of my door. I make a few tweaks, but I honestly like what I see. Starring back at my reflection, I begin to day dream. My head fills with thoughts and predictions of how things will play out tonight. I can't help but smile._

_Just as my school girl fairy tale gets to the perfect ending, the door bell rings. I fly down the stairs, yelling to my mother that I would answer the door. She knows very well who it is and that I can't wait to see him._

_I try to compose myself and contain my excitement as I open the door. Oliver is standing at my front step with a smile on his face. He is looking sharp (and as cute as ever) in his black and white attire._

_"Hey you..." I say almost seductively._

_Oliver's smile widens as he steps inside my house. He closes the front door behind him, never taking his eyes off of me._

_"Wow." I scan my boyfriend from head to toe. "You clean up pretty good."_

_Oliver slowly closes the gap between us. "And you look like heaven."_

_I see Oliver's eyes shut as he leans to kiss my lips. As soon as it registers in my brain, I hold up my hand in front of my face. As much as it kills me, I have to fight it. Oliver's eyes pop open and stare awkwardly at mine when his lips touch my palm. I giggle to myself._

_"Sorry, buddy boy, but it took forever to put on all this make-up." Removing my hand and folding my arms across my chest, I explain my struggle from earlier. "There's no way I'm smudging anything until after we get our pictures."_

_"You can touch up on the way..."_

_Before I can react, Oliver's lips meet mine. The sudden shock causes me to stumble backwards and bump into the stair's banister. I don't think that's part of the plan, but Oliver rolls with it. His body holds me against the banister. I'm not pressed so hard that I can't breath, but Oliver definitely has the upper hand. It's an innocent little kiss, but I'm feeling a hint of heat. Not too much, but just enough to drive me crazy._

_I kiss him back now, of course. There's no possible way I can resist. Freeing my arms, I wrap them around Oliver's back and pull him close. At this point, my sudden impulses are telling me to do one thing while my brain begs to differ._

_"Well hello, Oliver."_

_Oliver jerks his head back and I release him from my hold when we hear my mother's voice. She's standing three feet away from us, arms folded and staring. Uh oh. Busted..._

_"Uh, h-hey...Ms. Truscott." Oliver is beet red. He straightens his tie and clears his throat._

_"Hi mom." I wave and give a nervous smile. This is definitely awkward._

_"Sorry to interrupt," My mom begins. I blush. "But I just wanted to take some pictures before you guys leave."_

_"Sure thing." I reply._

_My mom leaves for a brief moment to get her camera. That's when Oliver and I let out a huge sigh of relief. Everyone knows my mother has a reputation for being uptight. We don't really show any signs of PDA around her for fear of the consequences. Surprisingly, she let us off the hook tonight._

_"Do I have lip stick on me?" Oliver asks, pointing at his face as we situate ourselves in front of the bay window in my living room._

_"Just a little." I reach up and wipe the corners of his mouth with my hand. "It's gone." I report happily._

_"I think you'll want these." My mom comes walking in with her camera and a small box that she hands to Oliver._

_"The flowers!" He sounds relieved as he opens the box. "I haven't seen these all day!"_

_"Your mom dropped them off earlier so you wouldn't forget them." She explains._

_"Which you basically did." I give him "the look." Oliver shrugs it off like it's no big deal._

_"Here." He slips my wristband corsage on my left arm. "Can you fix mine?"_

_I nod and take the flower in my hand. I try to be careful as I pin the matching flower to his suit jacket._

_"Easy, Lilly!" He covers the spot on his chest with his hand. "I'm under here, you know!"_

_"How could I've pinched you!?" I defend. "I only stuck the pin through your jacket!"_

_"Would it have killed you to play along?" He mutters through the side of his mouth so my mother can't hear. "I could have gotten a sympathy kiss out of that!" I elbow him the side and he lets out a small grunt in pain._

_"Alright you two, huddle close." My mother instructs. "I just saw you nearly on top of each other, so I think you can handle this."_

_"Mother!" I glare sternly. Oliver just laughs and wraps his arm snug around my waist. I lean in close and rest against his side._

_"How's this Ms. T?" He asks, squeezing me._

_My mother has the camera up and ready. "Adorable..." Her voice cracks._

_"Please don't tell me you going to cry again." I sigh and roll my eyes. Here comes her "mush ball" side._

_"I'm sorry." She sniffs, removing the camera from her face. "It's just I always knew this day would come. I always knew you two be together."_

_"It's been a little over a year, mom, now will you take the pictures already?" I respond annoyed. I'm ready to get this show on the road. She's cutting into my Oliver time. I hate it when that happens._

_"The first day you came home from preschool, I asked ' what did you do in school today, honey?' And you know what you said?"_

_"I have no idea." I reply sarcastically._

_"You said 'I made a friend name Oliver.'" She explains. "I asked you if you liked this boy Oliver, but you didn't say anything. All you did was smile and run off giggling."_

_"Did you really need to share that?" I ask. I don't know why I'm bothered by this, but I am. It's not like I have feelings to hide. I guess it's because it's my mom and that's what mothers do; embarrass the heck out of their kids._

_"I think it was sweet." Oliver looks at me and throws in his two cents._

_"Thanks." I hug at his side._

_"Don't move!" She commands and snaps a shot of Oliver and I in that position. "That one's getting blown up and sent to your father. He'll love it, honey."_

_For the next ten minutes my mother goes photo crazy. Apparently, my whole family wants shots. Even told my mother to take good ones for her. After what seems like a hundred flashes and poses later, she's finally satisfied and leaves us alone._

_"Great. Now I see purple spots." I complain, blinking my eyes._

_"So do I." Oliver rubs his._

_"You're not the one who has to walk in heels!" I fight back. "I'll fall and break my neck!"_

_"You really think I'd let that happen?" Oliver's big brown eyes work their magic on me._

_"Never." I answer and willingly kiss him, letting my lips linger. These shoes aren't so bad. I don't have to stand on my toes to fully kiss Oliver on the mouth._

_I start to hear the faint sound of an engine coming from down the street. Out the corner of my eye, I see the glow of head lights getting brighter and brighter. Curious, I step away from Oliver to take a peak out the window._

_"Limo must be here." He says with confidence._

_"You got a limo?" I'm in awe when the long, black vehicle pulls up in front of my house. I turn to Oliver. "I thought you were driving."_

_"Surprised?" He grins._

_"Very." I reply._

_"Good." He takes a step or two forward and holds out his arm. "You ready?" I nod and link arms with a smile._

_"Mom? We're leaving!" I call out. She pokes her heads around the corner from the other room, telling us to have fun, and thanks to the incident earlier, she tacks on "behave yourselves!" Oliver and I look at each other and laugh to ourselves._

_Oliver acts as the perfect gentle man as he opens the limo door and helps me inside. He slides in besides me and takes my hand. It fits so perfectly in Oliver's. He laces our fingers together. I look up at him dreamily and find that spot in his neck that I love so much._

_The ride to prom is short, but peaceful. Heart beats and breathing are the only sounds. We don't utter a single word. I don't think either of us wants to speak. I'm too busy enjoying the moment myself and wish it would last just a little while longer. Oliver's off in his own world. Once in a while, he titles his head and we exchange smiles._

_It's like a dream come true when we arrive. Oliver helps me out and escorts me in the building. Pictures are the first thing on my mind while Oliver is drooling over the tables of food set up in the distance. I yank his arm and scold him with my eyes._

_"Pictures first." I talk through my teeth. There's a small whimper from Oliver in protest, but he knows as well as I do that this night is one for memories. He can stuff his face any day. Prom night is special._

_Oliver perks up during our pictures. These are the real deal, not the torture from earlier. I find my boyfriend's hands heading a little south during some of the shots, but I'm not one to complain. It's clear that he knows exactly why I don't make a comment. That's my Ollie-pop. He knows when and how to act so that I bite my tongue._

_We find our table and Oliver pulls a chair out for me to sit. He flashes puppy dog eyes at me. I take his arm and gentle tug on in, pulling him down to my level for a kiss. His pouty, lower lip quickly changes to a smile, which I feel against my own. I pull away and simply point in the direction of what he wants. Oliver blushes as if he's embarrassed to leave, but turns and scurries off anyway. I sigh as I watch his hair flop with each step. Once a donut, always a donut..._

_Five minutes elapse and Oliver returns carrying white plate that's stacked high and jam packed with food, the center of it all being a giant piece of chocolate cake. He's walking slowly, careful not to drop anything._

_"Seriously, Oliver?" I glare sternly at him as he places the plate on the table._

_"What?" He answers confused and takes his seat._

_"Well for starters, we haven't been here an hour and you've made a serious dent in the dessert table." I look over and notice that the only food that's been taken is what's sitting in front of Oliver right now. "And secondly, you know you can't have half this stuff anyway!"_

_"It's prom, Lills." Oliver picks up his fork and begins scraping the chocolate frosting off the piece of cake. He raises the fork until it hovers inches from his mouth. "I wanna live a little tonight."_

_"And I want you to live period." I push the fork and his whole arm aside. Oliver's sad eyes follow. "Easy on the sweets, sweetie."_

_"Are you worried I'm gonna spike and pass out or something?" He asks._

_"You could if you eat all that." I tell, pointing to the massive mound of sugary foods._

_"It's not all mine." Oliver scans the plate searching for something. He holds up a chocolate-covered strawberry, which he hand-dipped himself in the giant chocolate fountain, carefully. "For you." He smiles._

_"Thank-you, Ollie-pop." I reply sweetly. He stretches across the table, strawberry still in hand, and holds it up to my face. I smile before opening my mouth. My left hand acts as a guard so the liquid chocolate does not drip on my white dress when I take a bit of the fruit. Oliver smiles as I chew._

_"Good?" He asks me._

_I nod at first because I need to swallow, but verbal reply when the food is gone. "The best chocolate-covered strawberry I ever had."_

_"There's more." Oliver tells me, turning the plate._

_"You should have one, too." I explain. "They used to be our thing." Picking up a strawberry, I mimic Oliver's actions. It's just as cute when I do it. His dorky face makes me laugh when I pop the berry in his mouth._

_"You tell me to watch my sugar, yet you just shoved a chocolate-covered strawberry down my throat." Oliver raises an eyebrow after swallowing. "You're a hypocrite."_

_"Didn't seem like you had a problem eating it." I fire back with a witty comment. I wait to see if Oliver has one to shoot in return, but he doesn't. I laugh a little inside. Score one point for team Lilly._

_"I'm just going to stick to my cake." He picks up the fork again and my face falls. After voicing my concern, he's still going to eat it? Oliver sees this and quickly makes another statement: "Which is all the goodies I'm going to have tonight so my gorgeous girlfriend Lilly doesn't have to worry about me snapping in to sugar shock." He pauses. "Although you look adorable when you're worried."_

_"Oh, just eat it." I cave and watch Oliver's face light up. He looks down hungrily and licks his lips just before tearing into the hunk. "I know you love cake more than anyone."_

_Oliver jerks his head up after my comment. Cake is partly sticking out and there's tiny ring of frosting around his mouth. "Not as much as you." He mumbles as he chews. Recognizing I can barely understand him like this, Oliver swallows before speaking again. "I care about you way more."_

_"I meant I've never known a person to love eating cake as much as you do..." I pause. "But thank you..." Though he interpreted what I said wrong, I just smile and hand Oliver a napkin. He accepts the paper product and wipes his face. While he's doing so, I begin to hear music being played from the speakers across the room._

_"It's starting!" I exclaim with a trademark "eep!"_

_Oliver removes the napkin from his face and looks at me. "Wanna dance?"_

_"Duh!" I jump out of my seat and grab his hand, trying to yank him to his feet. I have the look of a seven year old on Christmas morning. My eyes are glowing like I've just seen a big pile of presents and can't wait to tear into them. Oliver is my present. His loving arm with which he holds me close in is my gift._

_Oliver pushes himself out from the table and stands. I hear an underlying laugh at my excitement. "C'mon, Lilly-pop."_

_There's a certain unexplainable feeling washing over me as Oliver leads the way to the dance floor. It's like a combination of happiness, butterflies, and anxious all in one. The lighting is subtle. A slow song is diffusing throughout the room. It's not Radiohead. It's not Coldplay. I don't know what the song is or who sings it. Why should I care when Oliver has his hands wrapped around me sung. Reality is gone. We feel like the only couple in attendance. I learn in and rest my on his shoulder as we sway back and forth in time._

_"Having fun?" Oliver whispers in my ear._

_"Mmmhmm." I sigh contently in his. "You're amazing."_

_We continue dancing, getting more lost in each other by the second. Oliver goes and kisses my forehead. I blush at the contact and would really rather have his lips on mine, but I'll live. He lingers above my head for a moment. With a curious look, he takes a deep breath through his nose._

_"Apples..." Oliver pulls away cautiously._

_"Of course." I snuggle in his neck." Just for you."_

_I'm not in that position for more than a few seconds before Oliver stops moving. The music is still playing yet we're frozen._

_"What's wrong?" I ask, only moving my worried eyes to look at my boyfriend. Oliver doesn't answer. His eyes seem fixed in the distance, seemly staring off at nothing. He's deep in thought. I pick my head up off of him. "Why'd you stop?"_

_"Slow dancing, apples, your head in my neck...we've been down this road before."_

_"So? It's what we love." I try to get back to our previous position, but I feel Oliver squirm._

_"You're trying to bring back that night at the beach party." He concludes and backs up a step or two from me. "Don't."_

_My heart sinks to my stomach. I'm getting shivers and it's not from Oliver's "oh yeah." Time stops. I'm scared. What's going on? "W-What? Why? That was the best night of my life!"_

_"I don't want to relive a memory tonight." He replies firmly._

_"Then what do you want!?" I shout louder than I expect. My voice can clearly be heard over the sound system. I hope no one's staring. "You're confusing me!"_

_Oliver can tell I'm getting upset and reaches out to hold both my hands in an effort to calm me. "I wanna make a new memory."_

_"We are, Ollie." I reassure Oliver by bringing our hands together._

_"You only get one night to do things right, Lilly." He states. "I want this to be perfect."_

_"It is." I kiss his lips. That part of me that was bothered from earlier is now satisfied for the time being._

_"No it's not." Oliver releases my hands in a sudden drop turns his back. "We're having the typical prom night experience."_

_"Why are you getting so upset?" I ask._

_"Cause I don't want the same old, same old!" He spins around to explain. " Pictures, dances; none of that is special enough! One tells half a story while the other lasts for a few minutes. I want something that makes this night worth remembering for us!"_

_"All we're going to end up remembering is this scene you're causing." I don't yell and my words aren't forceful. That can only make the situation worse. I walk up to Oliver and place my hand on his left cheek. "You're here with me, and I'm here with you. We're together. That's what I'm going to remember, Oliver. That we were here at prom together. Nothing else matters."_

_His eyes roll to watch my hand, anticipating movement. I leave it on his face for a while, which is warming. Time goes by, and I see Oliver's eyes sudden widen. The preverbal light bulb goes on in his head. My hand moves as a smile curls underneath it._

_"Lets get out of here..."_

_"What?" I pull my hand back._

_"There's too many people here, and this place is boring." Oliver looks around the room then back at me. "Lets leave."_

_"After all the time and money spent preparing for this night you want to skip town?" I'm shocked that he would even think of doing that._

_"I just want some alone time." Innocent eyes echo Oliver's plea._

_Then, my brain starts to wonder and my face flushes. "I-I'm not...I'm not really ready for that."_

_Oliver has the same physical reaction. "N-No, Lilly." He stutters embarrassed. "I- I didn't mean it that way."_

_"Oh. Sorry..." I'm beet red and want to disappear. Mentally, I kick myself for even going down that route. Oliver's not that kind of guy. Guys do think about that stuff, though; teenagers especially. I'm sure there have been thoughts. Nice thoughts... My brain needs to be washed out with soap!_

_"I'm just not feeling this right now." Oliver admits. "I need to escape."_

_"How? There are teachers everywhere!" The place is well guarded and Oliver knows that. We're not allowed to leave until some crazy, early morning hour. Prom feels like a fancy prison. No one trusts kids these days._

_"I'll find a way." He gently kisses my cheek. "But we need to leave. I want to talk."_

_"You've been running your mouth for the past few minutes." I tell him._

_"Privately." He adds, taking my hand again. "Now will you just go along with me?"_

_I don't know what has gotten into my Oliver. He wants a private talk? Ideas swirl as the music fades. Some of them don't make sense, while the others send fear. Without letting any of those crazy thoughts get to me, I simply shake my head. "Where to?"_

_Oliver doesn't say a word. He squeezes my hand and off we go. I'm being lead to some unknown location for a very vague and general reason. What adventure am I about to endure?_

_I feel like a spy as we sneak around the halls. The mission impossible theme song should be playing. We're dodging chaperones and fellow prom goers so that we're not seen. I'm a little scared about getting caught. Oliver's head flings in every direction, eyes darting to make sure that the coast is clear. It's like we're criminals on the run._

_All the doors we find are locked. Oliver is getting frustrated. I want to tell him everything's ok, but he's too zoned out to listen. We make our way to a back door; the last possible way out besides crawling out of the bathroom windows. (There's no way I'm doing that in my prom dress.) Footsteps sound in the distance and Oliver panics. My heart skips a beat when I hear them, too. They become closer and closer. I don't know who they belong to, but the two of us are in for some major trouble regardless._

_With a watchful eye behind us, Oliver franticly jiggles the handle of the door, praying it's unlocked. It cracks open and suddenly, I'm yanked outside. He closes the door in a hurry and leans back against it. The knot in our chests has been loosened. We each take a deep breath of relief. Oliver's head rolls to face me. Smiles form on both our faces. Success._

_There's still a bit of sneaking around to do, but it's much easier now that we're outside. I have so many questions. What are we doing? Where are we going? Why are we doing this?_

_"Olive-"_

_"Shh!" He holds a finger to his mouth. "Not until we get there."_

_"Get wh-" Dagger eyes are shot at me before I can finish. I finally get the message and keep quiet. Though he's a dork, I trust Oliver. He knows what he's doing. Well, one can hope he does at least..._

_For while, I'm not sure exactly where I am. The sun has set and night is greeting us with each step. I don't know how Oliver can see in the dark. We don't seem to be headed toward where the street lights shine. It looks as though we're taking a detour from the hustle and bustle. We're headed some place where it's quiet, where we can have privacy. A place we love._

_Once we turn a corner, straying from the beaten path, and I know for sure Oliver's taking me to the beach..._

_I expect to be taken to table by the shack, but I'm wrong. We don't enter from that direction. I then think that maybe Oliver wants to talk a walk down by the water's edge, but he passes up that opportunity as well. Where else is there to go at the beach?_

_I'm lead up the boardwalk. All the shops are closed. We keep walking until we reach the pier, a place I haven't been to in a long, long time. There's a bit of wooden walk way off to the side that juts out over the ocean. Oliver stops._

_"We're here." He announces and releases my hand._

_I look around confused. Why this spot? Oliver sits himself down on the platform. Removing his shoes and socks, he lets his feet dangle over the edge. The water just touches Oliver's toes. He brushes of the sand on the spot to his left and looks back at me. That must be my cue. I take a set next to him, ridding myself of my heels. They've been killing my feet all this time anyway._

_"Would you look at that?" Oliver is talking about the moon, which is full tonight and a nice shade of silver. It shimmers against the water like crystal. Stars dot the blackened, cloudless sky as well._

_"It's beautiful." I say staring at the sight. A master painter couldn't capture such a moment on canvas. This is the real deal._

_"Not as beautiful as you."_

_Oliver receives a slightly long kiss for his compliment, getting and giving a small taste. We can both be a tease. Our nature is to leave the other wanting more._

_My head returns to his neck. Are we back where we started? Oliver takes his strong arm and pulls me close. I listen to the waves lap. Chills run down my spine from the water's touch and the mild breeze. I'm much warmer when Oliver removes his suit jacket and places it around my bare shoulders. He rubs my arms and back for a while to make sure I'm as warm as possible. I feel at peace._

_But when he gazes off in the distance, I know something's on his mind. We're alone just like he wanted, yet Oliver's being quiet._

_"So, what's on your mind?" I turn towards him feeling concerned._

_Oliver stops what he's doing. "Huh?"_

_"You wanted to talk about something. That's why we're here." I remind him of the reason why we left prom suddenly and without permission. Oliver doesn't reply. It's like he has forgotten. We've been enjoying the atmosphere and each other instead. I lean to whisper sweetly in his ear. His shaggy hair which I love so much tickles my face. "Talk to me, Ollie-pop."_

_"It's...it's stupid, Lilly." He shies away._

_"Try me." I reply._

_Oliver lets out a long, deep sigh and faces me. His face seems more serious, while I offer a small, encouraging smile. It takes a second to get him going._

_"We're seniors, Lilly." Oliver states. "We're leaving high school next month."_

_"And I'm so excited!" I let out a small squeal of joy, but my boyfriend looks rather emotionless. I blush a bit and wait for him to continue._

_"Do you know what this means?" He asks me. In order to prevent myself from saying something stupid, I let Oliver answer. "We've grown up."_

_"Not completely." I reply. "There's still some things left to do."_

_"But we're going be out there in the real world soon going off to college and getting jobs." Oliver turns away to watch the stars, searching as if they can provide an answer to the problem. His voice is low. "The future. It scares me, Lilly-pop."_

_"Why does it scare you?" I ask. I'm talking to the side of Oliver's face, because he doesn't want to be seen. I really would like to see his eyes, personally. I worry of their condition._

_"It's unpredictable." Oliver's hands are folded in his lap. He slowly swings his legs back and forth like a pendulum. I can feel the rippling effect in the water. "How do I know everything won't come crashing down on me when I leave the safe heaven of Seaview High and Malibu?"_

_"You'll be fine. It'll all work out." It's my turn to rub his back for comfort. The muscles in Oliver's back loose a bit of tension, but Oliver himself is still upset. That's not enough. Am I not enough?_

_I stop when I feel his neck turn. Finally, I see those brown eyes. Much to my disliking, they look cold and a bit distant. The few seconds he looks at me feel like hours. "What about us?"_

_"What?"_

_Oliver blinks and I see a thin, glossy coating covering his eyes. A knot forms in his throat. "I'm worried."_

_I place a finger under his chin. "What's there to worry about?"_

_"I told you this was stupid." He mutters, rolling his eyes away._

_"Don't avoid the question." I tap the side of his chin softly, signaling Oliver to "come back." He does._

_"You got a lot going for you, Lilly." He explains. "You're smart. You're future's going to be a bright one, full of promise. I know you'll be an amazing teacher someday. "_

_"I appreciate the flattery, but that's not an answer."_

_Mixed emotions escape Oliver in the form of a sigh. "What if I'm just tying you down? What if I'm holding you back?"_

_"You're doing none of the sort." I reply._

_"Did I not talk you into going to the same college with me?" He asks._

_"You suggested it, Ollie-pop." I inform him. "I checked it out, applied, and got accepted. Remember how happy you were when I found out?"_

_"But I feel I forced you to." A pang of guilt surfaces._

_"Sweetie, no." I stroke his cheek. "You've never forced me to do anything."_

_"There are much better schools out there than the one we picked." Oliver voices his concern._

_"I'm confident I made the right decision."_

_"Lilly-pop..." Oliver looks almost hurt and I don't understand why. Did I not tell him what he wanted to hear? My eyes meet his uncertain ones._

_"I wanna be with you, Oliver." I speak the truth. Plain as day; as simple as that._

_A wave crashes at our feet. We're silently staring for that moment, and then I continue. "When I said there's so much left to do, I mean with us. We have many experiences we've yet to go through. A ton of adventures await us at college. Sure, some will be hard, and there'll be a few bad times, but we can get through them. How? Why? Because we have each other, Ollie-pop. Cause I have you, and you have me."_

_I feel like I'm rambling on, but Oliver isn't telling me to stop. I cover my hands with his. "Nothing in the world means more to me than you do. Believe me, if I didn't feel this way, I wouldn't be here right now, but here I am. I'll be here for the lazy summer days, in the front row of all your band's gigs, and when we set foot in our first day of classes in the fall. It's my decision. It's my choice."_

_My hand migrates to Oliver's knee. I let it rest there. "So get used to the smell of apples and the sound of Radiohead, buddy." I pat his knee three times and flash a smile. "'I'm not going anywhere."_

_An ear-to-ear grin forms on Oliver. New life has been brought. His face lights up brighter than the moon and stars combined. Weight is being lifted from his heavy heart._

_"Come here."_

_I feel Oliver grab me by the arms and pull me into a soft, warm hug. The serious moment turns to play when he starts tickle attacking me like we're five again. It's an odd fact, but I'm only ticklish for Oliver. Anyone else can try for days, but I won't flinch or move a muscle. Guess there's just something about his touch._

_Right now, my stomach has that creepy-crawly sensation and I'm giggling uncontrollably. I spit out "Stop it, Oliver!" and "You donut! Cut it out!" between breaths. Oliver has on his concentration face. I can see that tongue of his peeking out the side of his mouth, even through my watering eyes._

_Force knocks me flat on my back. Oliver follows, showing no mercy. I know one way to stop his childish assault. With all my might, I push myself up as much as possible and trap his lips in a passionate kiss. Slowly, but surely his fingers stop as he focuses on kissing back._

_I can't stay this way for long. Without warning, my muscles give out and I hit the wood. Oliver collapses on top of me._

_"Hi." I stare up at him._

_"Hi." He smiles._

_"Mind if you get off me now?" I ask kindly. "My legs are numb."_

_"Right." Oliver clears his throat. "Sorry."_

_Oliver goes to sit back on his knees. He makes it to that spot when I see his eye widen. His arms shoot out to the side as he wobbles. Balance is lost and he topples over toward the left and into the ocean below. I bust out laughing._

_Oliver pops to the surface and spits out the salty water. Treading, he shakes the access liquid from his mop head like a dog. It's adorable, but I can't stop laughing. My ribs are hurting. "You're such a dork!" I shout._

_"Great! Now these clothes are gonna shrink!" He whines, tugging at his white long-sleeved dress shirt._

_"You won't need them again." I call out. It takes few more seconds, but I finally catch a break. I can breathe and talk without laughing._

_"Hey Lilly? Wanna go for a swim?" Oliver smirks._

_"No, no, no!" I reply forcefully. "There's no way!"_

_"C'mon. It'll be fun." Oliver says. He starts to swim over to me._

_"You know how much I paid for this dress!?" I fight. "Hair and make-up, too!?"_

_"You don't think I spent a lot on this tux?" He's getting closer._

_"Not to mention, it's a white dress!" I emphasis. "I can't get-"_

_Suddenly, Oliver's hands are on my ankles, and before I can defend myself he pulls me down. Water splashes everywhere and I let out a scream._

_"Wet..." I finish. Oliver's trying to not laugh, yet he still has an evil look. Thank goodness for water proof make-up. Immediately, I frown and scrunch my face. "After everything I just said. After telling you I'd be there for you, you pull me in the water." I get as close to his face as possible. "Not the smartest thing to do, Oliver!"_

_"Hey now." Oliver holds up his hands. "I wasn't really going to pull you in. I just wanted you to think I was. I never meant for you to end up soaking wet."_

_"Well, I'm sorta glad you did..." I tell him "Cause I'm still wearing your jacket!"_

_"Oh man!" Oliver's smacks his head with this hand. Once again, he's over-looked the obvious._

_"Ha! We're even!" I report triumphantly. I get the last laugh. That's typical._

_"It's not that bad down here, is it?" He asks._

_"No...not really." It's an honestly reply._

_We simultaneously tilt to view the moon. It's glistening off the water. The stars have the luster of diamonds. Brown and blue meet, melt, and mix before they shut for the most romantic kiss ever. Water is dripping from our noses, (and Oliver's bangs) but we ignore it all and continue until our legs are so sore that we can bare use them._

_We swim back to the edge of the pier. Doing so in a dress is basically impossible with out help. Oliver lifts me up out of the water and onto the pier. I stick my hand out from him to latch on to so that I can help him up in return. We put back on our shoes. The two of us stand there shivering, arms folded across our chests._

_"You know, y-you really are an id-idiot!" I snap as I shake._

_"B-But I'm y-your idiot!" Oliver's teeth chatter as he replies._

_I attempt to smile and ring out his suit jacket. It doesn't help. Oliver's trembling. I'm trembling. We're freezing._

_"We're...we're gonna get h-hypo-th-thermia!" I tell him._

_"H-Hey! Y-You were the one who w-wanted to stick w-with me!" Oliver says. "You still s-sure about that?"_

_"Of course!" I stick to my word. "Now s-seriously, before we fr-freeze to death, let just go home! It's not like we can go back to prom looking like this."_

_Nodding, Oliver puts his arm around my shoulder and I huddle close to his side. Two soaking wet bodies cancel out the cold. He takes one last look at the scene and the area we're leaving and kisses my forehead._

_"Did you get you're memorable moment, Ollie-pop?" I ask as we start walking._

_"Yes..." Oliver's hot breath warms my ear as he whispers._

* * *

**Worth the wait? Make sure to let me know. I mixed sweet, serious, and silly Loliver moments. (And some tiny innuendo hints.) There's bickering, which I made sure not to leave out since some people are missing it on the show. I choose to end it with the memory this time. The next chapter is the final one. I'm not setting a release date for it as of yet. It concludes the bed fluff and a surprise or two MAY BE coming you way. I might have something up my sleeves, but you'll have to stick around to find out. ;)**

**Again, BIG thanks to all and a special one to Emily (IheartORANGE.) I promised I'd get this out to her for her birthday (which is tomorrow), but I don't think she'll mind an early present. HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMILY! :)**

Marissa


	6. Chapter 6

**Between an internship that I had NO CLUE I was getting, longer hours at work, and trying to write my own music, I must say that to those of you who wish to work for/in the music industry...be prepared for it to rob your life. I spent all of June writing then deleting this last chapter. Finally I found a happy medium. It's ending bed fluff. I bring up some point from the previous chapters, so in case anyone forgot. Hope this satisfies. **

* * *

We are lying still next to each other on the bed. Oliver has one arm around me above my head. He tangles his fingers in my blonde hair subconsciously.

"Prom _was _an adventure." I admit. "I can tell why it's your favorite memory." My eyes close as I invasion Oliver and I kissing in the ocean.

"_You_ are my favorite memory." His reply is deep and soft. "You were crazy enough go along with me and save my sanity." Oliver adds. He bends his head down to my level "...And sorry about the dress." He blushes.

"Don't be. I'm not sorry about you jacket." I say firmly. "You deserved it."

"Are we gonna start this argument, _again_?" His brown eyes roll. I cover up a little smirk. Nit picking at pointless matters is our specialty. Always has been. Always will be.

"Nah. I'm in no mood to bicker." I turn away in bed, shifting my weight one side.

Silence fills the room after my sudden action. Thoughts flutter about in my mind; the reason I couldn't face Oliver anymore. I gather every image and feeling I have of him. They bring such joy, such happiness to me, yet uncertainty is still looming. Why can't I shake it?

"You ok, Lilly-pop?" I feel Oliver staring at my back in a confused manner. His tone makes me wonder if he thinks that I am sore with him for what he said; because of how I acted. "You wanna get some rest?"

I'm staring off straight ahead, debating on whether or not to answer. Maybe I can sleep away my worries. No, that never works. Everyone is taught not to run away from the troubles. Right now, I have something eating away at my heart. I love this man with ever fiber of my being. He will do anything for me. Oliver will go to the ends of the Earth and then some just to be with me; just to see me smile and hear me laugh. I have it all too well in life when I shouldn't. The themed thought of the night races: I don't deserve him. I don't deserve this.

There is movement on the mattress. Oliver turns on his side. He supports himself up with one arm. I feel a warm hand rub my shoulder. His fingers make me melt like magic. "There's something you're not telling me. There's something else bugging you." I guess we truly can read each other.

Oliver waits for a few seconds to see if I will response. When I don't, he takes matters into his own hands...literally. His arms reach out and gently roll me backwards so that I'm laying flat.

"Lilly..." His voice is surprisingly calm. "What's got you troubled?"

Giving in to his power, I breathe out deeply and very carefully open my eyes. I see loving, brown eyes, wide with concern hovering above me. Oh how I hate that Oliver can get me to do anything with that face! I am trapped with no escape. I really shouldn't say anything...

So I slowly stretch out my left hand instead. It slightly twitches beyond my control. "This..." I crack through a whisper.

"Wha-What about it?" Oliver tenses. "You're...you're not...you're not having second thoughts, are you? You were fine at dinner."

Now I am scaring him. He is petrified and thinking the worst. Bringing any of this up is a mistake I am mentally kicking myself for making. I look down and fiddle with my finger, specifically what is around it. As I do so, my eyes shut and I take a sharp, shaky breath. "O-Oliver..."

He leans in closer to listen to what I have to say. I feel the heat from his body. Breaking down can begin.

Salty liquid burns against my eye lids. I crack them open and let a tear drop slip out of one. My chapped lips go to mouth one word. A simple, three letter word that I have been asking all night. That word that is causing all this emotion.

I can't get half of a syllable out before Oliver's touch causes me to stop. That's the affect he has on me. He puts a hand to my face and strokes it softly, wiping away the tear. "Don't..." He warns. "If you do, I will, too."

"Oliver, I need to know." I feel terrible for what I am doing to him, but I have to ask.

"Lilly-pop," He begins.

"For my own sake." I add.

"Lills, I just spent the _whole_ night answering that question."

"Humor me, Ollie."

"But Lilly-"

"_Please_, Ollie-pop." Now I'm begging quietly, using my pair of pleading blue gems to seal the deal.

I expect a frustrated sigh, but I don't hear one. Instead, he lies on his back and pulls me over to him. We find ourselves tangled in the same position we started in earlier. There is a strong beat pounding in my ear. Oliver's hands rub my back. I'm starting to forget why I left this spot in the first place.

"You love listening to my heart, don't you?" His question vibrates through the both of us.

"Mmm..." I nod and burry my head further in his chest. This is comparable to a trained dog in Pavlov's experiment. They drool at the sound of a bell, while I helplessly press myself as close as possible the second I hear this internal organ's soothing rhythm. Same basic idea; All senses fail, and I'm not in control of my own actions. My addiction to Oliver is a powerful force.

"Then why don't you listen to you own?"

I lift up off of Oliver's upper body. "What?"

Oliver props up as I send a confused look. "All this time you have been asking me why. Why did I do this with you, why I did that for you. I've given you a reason in return every time."

"You have..." I answer carefully. I'm not sure where Oliver is going with this explanation.

"All those came from the heart, Lilly-pop. _My _heart." He covers the spot on his chest with his hand. "I don't have to stop and think why I chose you all these years, or why I want you now."

"Ollie..." His name just slips out of my mouth. "I-I, I just..." I stutter. This is all too much for me. "Sometimes I wanna hear it. I need to hear you say it."

"You worry too much, babe." Oliver says as he tucks some hair strands behind my ear. His hand traces down the side of my face, cupping it at the end. I'm hopelessly sucked in with one glance at his eyes. "Don't spend your days wondering why. Just listen to your heart and you'll know."

"But..." I bite lip.

Oliver slouches back in bed and lowers me down beside him. We turn to face each other, our heads touching. "One day, an innocent, blonde-haired girl reached over and grabbed my hand, introducing my stomach to butterflies." He starts the reminiscing process once more. "Ever since then, that little girl has done so much for me. She taught me not to fear even the smallest things. She gave me strength, both physically and mentally, when I needed it the most. This girl even made a promise that I would always have her, which she keeps to this day."

Oliver's eyes melt through mine. "She's the best friend a dork like me could ever ask for. I don't need a reason why. She's enough." His bangs tickle my neck as he whispers softly in my ear. "_You're_ enough."

It seem like it takes Oliver ages to pull away. Chills flush over me. I have a weak spot on my neck that is begging for lips to tend to it. "Oliver..." I breathe out.

I feel a hand run down the entire length of my arm, leaving a trail of goose bumps. "And this..." Oliver caresses my hand and turns the sparkling piece of jewelry (only hours old) back and forth on my finger. He smiles up at me with that dorky grin he has had all is life. The one I remember falling for at age five. "This is just the icing on the cake. The sprinkle on the donut."

"The _sprinkle_ _on the donut_?" I do my best not to laugh at such a sweet moment. When Oliver's involved, however, it's too hard to resist. "Where'd you come up with that one?"

"I just made it up." He confesses and shrugs in shoulders. "You always called me donut."

"I don't know how I put up with you all these years." I laugh softy and slap his arm.

"I may not know how, but I know _why_." He says.

"Enlighten me." I reply.

"The same reason I put that engagement ring on your finger tonight..." Oliver pulls me to him. Hands wrap around my dress while I slip under his shirt. We are pressed so close that our noses touch; our hair in each other's face. "Because _I love you_..."

Oliver feels me smile through a long, tender kiss. Fingers slowly run themselves through his soft hair. All while loosing ourselves in the moment. To the other's magic. Lost in love.

"I can't wait for you to be my wife." He says with a smile when our kiss is finished.

"Mrs. Oliver Oscar Oken." I sigh happily.

We lay there nuzzling each other's neck and face. Small kisses are exchanged every once in a while. This touch, this feeling. How could I ever question Oliver and his decision? If it's not broke, don't fix it. Leave well enough alone. Sometime I forget these sayings. I really need to learn to count my blessings in life. The biggest one, the best one. My Oliver. My fiancé. My Ollie-pop.

Feelings take over and I start to attack Oliver's neck with kisses. I hear a faint whimper as continue lower and lower. As I reach to press my lips to his collar bone, I get mouth full cotton and quickly pull away.

"What is this still doing on!?" I scold, placing my hands on my hips.

Oliver chuckles at my reaction. "I'm sorry?" His good looks are not going to get him out of this one.

"If I'm going to be you wife, Ollie-pop, we have to have some give and take here." I explain.

"You are giving me an ultimatum?" He raises an eye brow.

"Well, more like a condition." I reply. "When I'm Mrs. Oken, you gotta sleep shirtless."

"Oh yeah?" Oliver replies smug. "You think I need some-"

"Practice? Yes! You need plenty of it!" I do my signature cut off and literally rip the shirt from his sleeves. There is such force that notice tears in the fabric as I fling it behind me. A semi stunned pair of eyes meet my lustful ones.

"Ok, that's the _third _shirt you have ruined by doing that!" Oliver indicates with his fingers. "Seriously, Lills, honey. I think you have a problem."

"_Do I_?" I ask slyly, rubbing and tracing ever inch of exposed skin on Ollie-pop's body. Breathing hitches as I do my work. His eyes are on my hands as I draw circles on his chest. I'm waiting for his heart to burst from his ribcage.

"Uh, um, on sec- on second thought." Oliver swallows loudly. "You're...you're just fine. Besides, I can buy a new one." I poke him hard in the stomach and shoot dagger eyes. "Ok, ok!" He holds up his hands in defense. "I won't buy anymore shirts."

My tease works like a charm every time. A smile beams as I flop down on Oliver. He lets out a grunt at the sudden weight.

"Easy!" He tells me. "And what about me? What if _I _have a condition for _you_?"

I roll my eyes as his whining and sigh. "Ok. What's you're condition, Ollie-pop?

"Less talky and more kissy-pop." He winks at me suggestively.

"How did we go from sharing crayons to swapping spit?" I ask blatantly.

"Who cares?" Oliver wraps his limbs around me, trapping me tight. "You're mine now and forever." I kiss his nose and forehead. He sends a "that's all I get?" look. Giggling, I capture his lips as his hands explore.

We cuddle and neck with each other long into the night. It takes us hours to tire, but when we do, I claim my rightful spot. Finally, I can get sleep. Oliver's heart plays its natural rhythm and I begin dozing.

"Oliver?" I mutter muffled against his skin.

"Huh?" His eyes are already closed, hands just barely stroking my hair.

"Thank-"

Before I can finish, I hear his breathing regulate and a faint snore escape. This is how I will end each night for the rest of my life. I couldn't ask for a better way. I just smile and huddle closer. "Thank you." I whisper and drift off to sleep.

* * *

**I think this is a nice closure to all Lilly and Oliver have been through in this story. You're thoughts and comments are appreciated. In the end, they both got what they wanted...and so did most of you who commented about the battle of Oliver's shirt *cough EMILY cough* Still working on a few fics. With my busy schedule, I'll try to update them as soon as I can. Thanks to all who read. One last comment: Happy 18th Birthday to Mitchel Musso! :)**

**Marissa**


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